I had planned on going to Sykes Hot Springs for Memorial Day Weekend, but upon my (slightly later than planned) arrival, I had to start considering other options. Planning backpacking trips in Big Sur for long weekends is a great idea, free self-register permits at the trailhead, but it gets PACKED FAST. When I was starting the trail around 9am Saturday morning and registered for the hike with some volunteers for Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park, they told me over 100 people had already checked in planning to camp at Sykes tonight. Considering that the hot springs are small pools that can fit about 3 people, I knew I wouldn’t have a great experience there if it was too packed. The campsite before Sykes is Barstow, making Sykes a good day hike, but Barstow had at least one group of 50 people there. So then I start getting my priorities straight and asking the right questions – “what is the best and currently least crowded campsite?” That is how I learned about Ventana Camp, it was a favorite for all of the volunteers and they said nobody had checked in to sleep there tonight, so I’d be alone – perfect. With a super last second complete change of plan, I set off climbing uphill. The first ~4 miles are uphill and I recommend trekking poles for this hike. I usually find trekking poles annoying on long hikes but I found them super useful on this trail. After that long uphill, you’ll turn off the trail and take steep downhill switchbacks into the canyon and to the river. The scenery is gorgeous the entire hike, passing wildflowers and the redwood covered rolling peaks.

I was shocked with how beautiful this campground is, plenty of space on both sides of the river to set up camp and enjoy the area. The swimming hole at Ventana is absolutely gorgeous, and in May the current is strong but the water level is low enough that if you let the current carry you, you will drift to a shallow area. For the adventurous hiker, (later in the summer season when water levels are low) you can hike the 5 miles to Ventana Campground and then go 5.5 miles down the river out back to Julia Pfieffer campground. I think that’s a perfect day hike, especially if camping at the Julia Pfieffer Campground. Because this is fresh water and in a deep canyon, there are bugs – mosquitoes and more. Make sure to bring bug spray and also mentally prepare that sometimes you just gotta get bit to enjoy the river. 

The swimming hole at Ventana Camp is a great place to hang out during the day while camping to cool off and enjoy the sun. There’s butterflies around making the whole place feel straight out of a fantasy book. It was early enough in the year when I visited to have a small 2 foot X 2 foot campfire – and no matter what time of year it is you need a fire permit for this are to make sure you are aware of all the safety precautions to take while using a camping stove etc. There are also black bears, bobcats, and other critters who would love a taste of your food, so be sure to do a bear hang or have a bear bin stored away from your campsite. There are very few black bears in this area, and they are usually very far in the backcountry, so the main concern is raccoons.

Coming out of this trail and Big Sur going north, there are many amazing places to go in Carmel-By-The-Sea and Monterrey. The Carmel Bakery in Carmel is amazing and a short walk down to the beach where there is a trail along the road following the coast line and uniquely designed homes. In Monterrey, you can go down to Cannery Row and go to the Aquarium. The Monterey Wharf also has lots of great seafood. So obviously after my backpacking trip I went to the Wharf for some clam chowder and oysters to settle back in to civilization. This is NOT something i recommend to people who don’t usually eat a lot of seafood, I know it can make some people sick after an intense backpacking trip.